Second of two parts

By DAVE EVANS

Special to the Daily Planet

In part I of this commentary, I explained the notion of how our growing knowledge of the ‘microbiome’ is revolutionizing our understanding of human biology in the face of a growing “pandemic” of noncommunicable diseases and that our fear of germs is misplaced according to the new biology. 

Now it is time to take a look at how this new understanding of biology applies to our health. 

Human beings are actually “superorganisms” hosting a mostly intelligent and cooperative collection of microorganisms. We are more like an ecological system akin to a rainforest or a barrier reef than like a single or distinct organism. 

We need to do what we can to support this system that is intertwined with our mammalian DNA. A healthy microbiome is the engine that drives ongoing health throughout our lives. 

The microbiome is installed at birth during vaginal delivery and is actually an inheritance from our ancestral line. The proper installation of the microbiome is a major factor in promoting a lifetime of good health. 

Breastfeeding further supports the microbiome. Imagine if these facts were deeply understood by all expectant mothers? 

Does this mean that if one is born by cesarean section, is not breastfed and/or has a bad inheritance of microbial partners that one has no chance of creating and supporting a healthy microbiome? 

No, it does not mean that, but this certainly is a critical and heretofore little understood factor in the propagation of lifelong health. 

So how is it that the microbiome supports our health and what must we do to care for it properly? 

We can begin by considering systemic inflammation, which is the cause of our generally weakened immune systems giving rise to the plethora of NCDs with new ones being identified almost daily. 

Inflammation is not all bad and is the body’s proper response to invaders, pathogens and certain injuries.

In some cases the immune system can also attack its own organs and tissues causing serious damage and disease. This can happen if the macrophages (killer cells) from the innate immune system have never learned what is harmful or safe. 

At the center of all this is the microbiome because it is the driver of immune maturation and has the capacity to determine whether the inflammation is healthy or unhealthy. 

It is thought that the microbiome is the educator/director of this killer cell army and must learn from the environment around it. Contact with the outside world is a good thing for the human superorganism!

So how can this information help inform our understanding of how to better support our health? 

The answer lies in our understanding of the major causes of this NCD pandemic that is connected to the malfunctioning of the microbiome.

The first factor is the overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics destroy both bad and good microbes and have been overprescribed, causing serious damage to our microbiomes. 

We need to be much more judicious in our usage of antibiotics and consider how we might offset their negative effects. We need to better target their appropriateness on a case by case basis. 

Another problem is the extent to which they are used in the food production process, such as in animal feed, which ultimately ends up in our bodies. If we are to consume animal products we need to make sure that they are grass-fed, free-range, organic and antibiotic-free where possible.

The second factor that is important to understand is our diet. The standard American diet does not support a healthy microbiome. The lack of nutrients in our food and their processed and chemical-laden nature leads to microbiome malfunction (dysbiosis). 

Also, the over-consumption of alcohol and prescription drugs is a major factor in creating dysbiosis. The central problem is that we are not eating the foods that they like to eat and metabolize for our benefit. 

We are literally starving our microbial partners. 

A food revolution is needed emphasizing the consumption of fermented foods and those rich in fiber, such as in a whole, fresh and diverse array of plant based foods.

It may be that more indigenous living closer to the land provides a greater diversity of good microbes that will support us more completely. A deeper relationship with nature may be the key!

The third factor is that our mammalian only approach to medicine has ignored the impact of our non-mammalian DNA that plays such a major role in our health. We have only recently come to realize the important role that these microbe outsiders are fulfilling in protecting our health. 

That is the essence of the problem. By viewing them as outsiders or insignificant nonentities we miss the most important factor in propagating and defending our good health. 

They are a vital part of our physical well being and they even have an impact on our psychology. We must respect them and take care of them. We have much to learn moving forward. Our well-being may depend on it.

This is an exciting new revolution and it is a huge and growing subject. 

If you wish to understand it more deeply, there are many new books on the market  that address the subject. 

I personally recommend the work of Cornell immunologist Rodeny Deitert, Ph.D. His 2016 book “The Human Superorganism: How the Microbiome Is Revolutionizing the Pursuit of a Healthy Life” is a good read. 

You might also consult a holistic, integrative doctor or someone schooled in functional medicine. 

These practitioners are more likely to have absorbed some of the new biology and might be able to help you apply it to your situation. 

The good news is that robust, life-long health is ours for the taking! 

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Dave Evans, a self-described “independent free-thinker with libertarian leanings” who lives in Arden, once worked for the U.S. House of Representatives, as a contractor for the DoD (DISA and DLA) — and at NOAA HQ Silver Spring, Md., where he was a project manager.